This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the extraction of substances from a formation in situ and although directed primarily for use in tar sands, may be utilized in other mineral separation environments if desired.
There is presently no proven method of economically extracting the bitumen or oil from the tar sands in situ. Some of the methods which are proposed, require the sand to be pumped to the surface for processing and then returned to the excavation after cleaning. Other methods suggest heating the tar sands by steam or heat to make the oil flow to well bores surrounding the injection well.
However, all of these methods require large expenditures and are time consuming and as yet have not been perfected to a degree where they would make the tar sands an economic source of oil.